Thermo-compressor



Jan. 26, 1937. E. E. KLEIR 2,068,748

THERMO-COMPRES SOR Filed July 26, 1954 HIS ATTORNEY:

Patented Jan. 26, 1937 UNITED STATES PATNT OFFICE 2,068,748 THERMO-COMPBESSOR tion of New Jersey Application July 26, 1934, Serial No. 736,988

7 Claims.

My invention relates to thermo-compressors, and particularly thermo-compressors comprising a number of nozzles from which steam or other power medium is discharged in the operation of the compressor.

Such devices are often used for the evacuation of vapor in refrigerating systems, especially when water is employed as the refrigerating agent, and for transmitting the vapor at increased pressureinto a suitable condenser to be liquefied.

An object of the invention is to provide a thermo-compressor or steam evacuator so designed that parts of the steam flow can be periodically interrupted to increase the capacity of the compressor, without materially reducing the working pressure thereof, and without giving rise to pulsations in the discharge of the steam or other power medium in practice.

Other'objects and advantages of the invention will be made clear in the ensuing specification accompanied by the drawing which illustrates several embodiments of the invention. The disclosure, however, is illustrative only and changes may be made in various details without departing from the principle of the invention or exceeding the scope of the appended claims.

On the drawing, Figure 1 shows in longitudinal section one form of a thermo-compressor according to this invention,

Figure 2 is a cross section on line 22 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of part of another form of the invention,

Figure 4 is a section on the line l l of Figure 3, and

Figures 5 and 6 are longitudinal sectional details of additional modifications.

The same numerals identify similar parts throughout.

Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, I show a thermo-comp-ressor which comprises a casing I having an inlet 2. Within the casing are a number of nozzles 3, preferably of short length, through which steam or other power medium is discharged into the casing. This fluid is received by the nozzles from the inside of the steam chest 4 to which a steam supply pipe 5 is connected. In practice the inlet 2 may communicate with a space to be evacuated, such as the interior of an evaporator vessel in a water-vapor refrigerating system; and when the steam issues from the nozzles 3 it acts by aspiration to draw vapor into casing I through the inlet 2 and discharge it through an outlet conduit 6. When the substance entering the casing I through the inlet 2 is water vapor, the mixture of steam and water vapor is carried through the conduit 6 to a condenser (not shown) to be liquefied. The nozzles 3 are mounted in the plate 1 which closes the open end of the casing l opposite to the conduit 5, and the steam chest 4 is in the form of a box-like member with a surrounding flange by which this chest and the plate I can be bolted together to the casing I.

Within the chest 4 are one or more arms 8 mounted on a shaft 9 carrying a bevel gear 50 which meshes with the bevel gear I i of an electric motor I2. The arms are so shaped and so actuated that they will move over the inlet ends of some of the nozzles 3 and momentarily close the nozzles to intermittently out oh the flow of steam therethrough. Preferably, the nozzles are arranged in concentric circular rows, and the ones thus obstructed are those which are in the outermost row. Thus, the nozzles may be said to be divided into two groups: those in the outermost rows which are alternately active and inactive and those in the inner rows which operate continuously. Whenever any one of the nozzles 3 is temporarily inactive, a gap or zone of inactivity is left in the stream of steam where the steam would issue from that nozzle in the casing l The arm or element 8 rotates continuously, consecutively rendering each outer nozzle intermittently inactive. The vapor exhausted through the inlet 2 fills the zone of inactivity in front of any momentarily obstructed nozzle, penetrating more easily to the body or current of steam which fills the interior of the conduit 6, and is thereafter entrained freely in the inner continuous fiow, its evacuation thereby being hastened. Any laggard vapor is further impelled into the conduit 6 by the resumption of the outer steam flow.

The arm 8 passes through a bearing consisting of glands i3 and M, between which is suitable packing material IE to prevent leakage of steam from the chest 4. In Figures 3 and 4 the arms 8 are replaced by a disc member or plate l8 having two sets of concentric curved slots l9 and 29. The parts 2| and 22 of the plate form arms or elements similar to the arms 8 of Figure 1, between the ends of the adjacent slots [9 and 20 for closing some of the nozzles in the two concentric rows thereof as the plate turns, but steam then continues to flow through the slots to the remaining nozzles. The disc cannot obstruct an inner nozzle without simultaneously obstruct ing an outer nozzle in the same radial line. The flow of medium to be evacuated into the inner space is thereby assured. Here, as before, the series of zones of inactivity is formed and entrainment is similarly effected in the inner streams. Although the disc herein described, preferably obstructs all of the nozzles at various intervals, it is obvious, that this is not a necessary limitation and that the nozzles may be divided into the groups as stated.

In Figure 5 the plate I has an endless groove 23 therein with the nozzles 3 seated with their inlet ends below the bottom of this groove. The outer end 24 of the arm or arms 8 is shaped to have a bearing fit in this groove and shut off some of the nozzles periodically as before. The element 24 thus controls the nozzles 3.

Figure 6 shows shows a construction very similar to Figures 1 and 2, except that each arm 8,

instead of passing over the ends of the nozzles 3', enters slots 25 in the sides thereof near the inlet ends, and thus cuts off the flow of steam therethrough.

In operation it Will be seen that the thermocompressor or steam jet booster is thus rendered more efiicient in action, the pocketing of vapor in any part of the evacuator or chamber is prevented, and by giving the inner nozzles greater access to the medium to be evacuated its capacity is increased. At the same time the operation is steady, the amount and pressure of the steam flowing in the conduit 6 is substantially constant, and with a fixed number of nozzles the interruption of steam flowing through several of them will not be enough to create pulsations.

The shaft 9 will be suitably packed in the manner described or in some other way to eliminate leakage; and if, when high pressure steam is used, some leakage should result, this leakage can be conducted to the conduit 6.

For convenience in mounting the nozzles, the groove 23 in Figure 5 has recesses 21, in the bottoms of which the nozzles are made fast. Each nozzle will be closed when the end 24 of the arm 8 covers this recess. One or more arms may be used as in Figure 2.

Of course, the invention is not limited to steam, as it can be used with other power fluids in practice.

I claim:

1. A thermo-compressor having a casing, a plurality of nozzles fixed in the casing to discharge a power medium, means to deliver power medium to the nozzles, a movable element to sweep over the ends of the nozzles and close some of the nozzles, and means to continuously move the element from nozzle to nozzle, the nozzles acted upon by the element being momentarily closed in timed sequence by the element to create momentarily inactive zones in successively different regions of the discharging power medium Whereby the entrainment of fluid in the medium is facilitated.

2. A thermo-compressor comprising a casing having a plurality of nozzles fixed therein to discharge a powermedium, a chest common to all the nozzles wherethrough said power medium flows to the nozzles, means to deliver power medium to the chest, one or more movable elements in the chest to sweep over the inlet ends of the nozzles and close some of the nozzles, and means to continuously move each element from nozzle to. nozzle, the nozzles acted upon by the elements being momentarily closed in timed sequence by each element to create momentarily inactive zones in successively different regions of the discharging power medium wherethrough fluid to be compressed enters the normal path of flow of power medium to entrain in the existing flow of said medium.

3. A thermo-compressor having a casing, a plurality of nozzles fixed in concentric groups in the casing to discharge a power medium, means to deliver power medium to the nozzles, means having one or more angularly spaced rotatable elements to sweep over the ends of the nozzles and close some of the nozzles of one or more of said groups, and means to continuously rotate said elements and move each element from nozzle to nozzle, the nozzles of each group acted upon by the elements being momentarily closed in timed sequence by each element to create momentarily inactive zones in successively different regions of the discharging power medium whereby the entrainment of fluid in the medium is facilitated.

4. A thermo-compressor having acasing, a plurality of nozzles fixed in the casing to dis charge a power medium, some of which nozzles operate continuously, means to deliver power medium to the nozzles, one or more movable elements to sweepover the ends of other nozzles and close certain thereof, and motor means to continuously move each element over each of said other nozzles, said other nozzles being momentarily closed in timed sequence by each element to create momentarily inactive zones in successively different regions of the discharging power medium whereby the entrainment of fluid in the power medium issuing from the continuously operating nozzles is facilitated.

5. The compressor according to claim 4 wherein the nozzles acted upon by the said elements are slotted in the sides to receive the elements.

6. The compressor according to claim 4 having further, a plate, a groove therein in which the said other nozzles are supported, and the said elements moving continuously in said groove to control said nozzles.

7. A thermo-compressor having a casing, a plurality of nozzles fixed in the casing to discharge a power medium, means to deliver power medium to the nozzles, a rotatable plate having one or more elements to sweep over the ends of the nozzles and close the latter, the plate also having slots between the elements and arranged to be continuously in line with some of the nozzles, and means to continuously rotate the plate to move each element from nozzle to nozzle, the nozzles being momentarily closed in timed sequence by each element while the nozzles in line with the slots continue to be open, thereby to create momentarily inactive zones in successively difierent regions of the discharging power medium for facilitating the entrainment of fluid in the medium.

ELMER E. KLEIR. 

